Outrage In Senate Over Rape Of Two Year- Old Girl in Nasarawa State

I think even the National Assembly is getting tired of hearing these sick stories repeated with such great frequency. The report below is piteously sketchy though. It fails to tell us if it was a motion or a bill, what other Senators said etc. For me however, the main thing is, the legislators are finally taking notice. Former Vice President Atiku has also taken notice. The Powers that be in Nigeria are TAKING NOTICE and God bless ’em all. This is just one step in the right direction. I foresee a situation where very soon raping a woman in Nigeria will attract the same severity of punishment as an armed robbery. Kudos.

Senators on Thursday expressed anger over the alleged rape of a two year old girl, Chinwendu Onwudiwe, by a policeman in Mararaba, Nasarawa State. Mararaba, a densely populated area of Nasarawa State, is about five minutes’ drive to the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) Abuja.

The alleged police rapist is said to be one Corporal Anthony Onoja. The lawmakers voiced out their indignation over the incident after SenatorHelen Esuene (Akwa Ibom South) presented what was described as “a touching” motion on the “Cruelty to infants” in the country.

Esuene in her lead debate noted that the country has been witnessing acts of cruelty to babies including their being kidnapped, abused and sold as commodities. She invited the Senate to note “the recent case of criminality in Mararaba area of Nasarawa State meted against a two year old baby girl (Chinwendu Onwudiwe) by no other than a policeman who is supposed to uphold the law.”

The lawmaker said,” on October 20, 2013 the gory news that hit the airwaves as carried by Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) was the sexual assault of a two year old female infant by a neighbour who is a police officer called Corporal Anthony Onoja.”

She noted that though the matter was reported to the police, it was yet to be taken to court.

She said that Section 31 and 32 of the Child’s Right Act “make this case a criminal offence which attracts life imprisonment or 14 years imprisonment depending on the nature of the abuse.”